Ben Johnson has made a swift decision for his career, and now Aaron Glenn could be next in line for a head coaching position. As Johnson transitions to the Chicago Bears and Mike Vrabel has already found a role in New England, there are currently five head coaching openings to fill. The teams still seeking coaches include the Jets, Saints, Jaguars, Raiders, and Cowboys.
Johnson, who recently served as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, was named the head coach of the Chicago Bears on Monday, just two days after the Lions, who held the top seed, were eliminated by Washington. Meanwhile, Glenn, who is the defensive coordinator for the Lions, has interviewed with multiple teams and is poised to receive an offer this week following several follow-up interviews.
Here’s an overview of the coaching searches for each of these teams:
**Dallas Cowboys**
Following the dismissal of Mike McCarthy, owner Jerry Jones has had discussions with Deion Sanders regarding the head coaching position, although they have yet to have a formal meeting. Former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, renowned for his 16 seasons with the team, was mentioned as a potential candidate but has not been interviewed yet. The Cowboys have nodded to their local ties by interviewing Eagles’ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who was a player for the Cowboys and worked as Dak Prescott’s play-caller during his tenure. Additionally, they have spoken with former Jets coach Robert Saleh and former Vikings coach Leslie Frazier.
Dallas is expected to meet with Brian Schottenheimer, their current offensive coordinator, for an interview on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation. This marks the ninth head coach that Jones will hire since acquiring the franchise in 1989, a year that began with the controversial firing of legendary head coach Tom Landry, who led the Cowboys from the start. Jones previously hired Jimmy Johnson, with whom he clinched two Super Bowl victories. Under his ownership, several coaches, including Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, and McCarthy, who had established successful head coaching careers already, were brought in along with coordinators like Chan Gailey and Jason Garrett.
**Las Vegas Raiders**
After just one season, both Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco were let go, allowing new minority owner Tom Brady to play a significant role in shaping the team’s future. The Raiders are actively interviewing candidates, having either requested or conducted interviews with candidates such as Johnson, Glenn, former Seahawks and USC coach Pete Carroll, Broncos’ defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Saleh, and Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Owner Mark Davis has highlighted Brady’s insights as important throughout this process, and the Raiders are concurrently searching for a new general manager.
**Jacksonville Jaguars**
On Monday, the Jaguars announced that they scheduled in-person interviews with Saleh, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, and Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who will be meeting with owner Shad Khan, general manager Trent Baalke, and others this week. Coen is slated to go first on Wednesday. The Jaguars have already completed interviews with Johnson, Glenn, Spagnuolo, Moore, Bills’ offensive coordinator Joe Brady, and Ravens’ OC Monken. After experiencing two winning seasons under Doug Pederson, which included a playoff victory, the Jaguars faced disappointment this past season with a 4-13 record, prompting their search for a new head coach. This search will mark the fourth coach for Baalke since he became the GM in 2021.
**New Orleans Saints**
In New Orleans, Glenn, Dolphins’ defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and Giants’ offensive coordinator Mike Kafka are all moving forward with second interviews for the head coaching role. Interim coach Darren Rizzi, who recorded a 3-5 record after Dennis Allen’s departure, has already been interviewed, along with other candidates like Joe Brady and Moore. The Saints are also interested in McCarthy and Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who is opting to wait until the end of the season for further engagements.
**New York Jets**
The Jets have cast a wide net in their search for a head coach, having interviewed 16 candidates thus far. The latest to meet with the Jets is Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., and they are also preparing to conduct a second interview with Glenn. Others in contention include coordinators like Joseph, Nagy, and Rizzi, along with experienced coaches such as Ron Rivera, Spagnuolo, and Vrabel. Further candidates include Steelers’ OC Arthur Smith, Vikings’ DC Brian Flores, and former Jets coach Rex Ryan.
As coaching decisions are made across the league, the focus remains keen on how each franchise fills their essential leadership roles.
